WordPress is the most versatile CMS for businesses to create and customize their websites. However, it’s also a complex system to navigate and maintain and can quickly become damaged or breached if left unattended.
Fortunately, there are services available to provide ongoing assistance. Here are five reasons why successful WordPress websites need ongoing maintenance plans.
Company Needs Change Over Time
Many companies start out with minimal needs and limited product offerings. An out-of-the-box setup is often sufficient for a new business trying to gain a foothold online. However, as a business grows, those needs will evolve. At that point, making changes and ensuring the integrity of the website becomes more challenging.
Having an ongoing maintenance plan helps keep the website running smoothly as new features are added, and settings are adjusted. This attention will minimize costly downtime and assist with sustainable scaling and growth.
Offset the Risks of Data Loss
WordPress maintenance packages typically include a data backup feature. While backing up data on a daily basis may seem like overkill, it can actually make or break a business should a catastrophic data loss occur. According to a study conducted by the University of Texas, 94% of companies experiencing a catastrophic data loss shut down or go bankrupt following the event.
There’s a common misconception that data loss is caused by malware and hackers. While this is sometimes the case, simple mistakes are the most common cause of data loss events, with 88% of security breaches being related to human error.
Having a recent backup ensures the continuity of a company after a data loss event. Whether you’re implementing ongoing maintenance for your page or a client’s, this could be the thing that saves your business.
Protect from New Cybersecurity Risks
While human error is the most common cause of security breaches, malware and viruses are still a concern. Having a WordPress maintenance plan in place helps with the early detection of security breaches so that they can be handled efficiently with minimal downtime.
Outsource Time-Consuming Repetitive Tasks
Setting aside time to install updates and run routine checks isn’t feasible for many websites and business owners. There’s an opportunity cost of allocating human resources to repetitive tasks when they could be focusing on revenue-generating activities.
Outsourcing WordPress maintenance ensures these tasks are getting done without taking away from the critical work that pays the company bills.
SEO Continuously Evolves
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the bread and butter of digital marketing. Search engines like Google and Bing crawl websites, evaluating factors like functionality, keyword relevance, and frequency of new and refreshed content before determining where a site will show up on a search engine results page (SERP).
SEO is comprised of both technical and content-related components. While marketing teams tend to handle the content side, the tech side is more nuanced and complex. Furthermore, the algorithm is always evolving. Having a WordPress maintenance plan in place with technical SEO as a priority can help your website stay relevant in an ever-shifting landscape.
Final Thoughts
Having a WordPress maintenance plan is vital for success— especially for agencies who leverage this tool for clients. Consider outsourcing your WordPress maintenance to minimize downtime, protect data integrity, and rest easy knowing everything is handled.
